Yusuf Madappen has been mixing perfumes in Deira for 26 years. He is known across Dubai simply as Yusuf Bhai, and his ability to recreate any fragrance from a single smell has taken him from a local legend to a TikTok phenomenon with visitors flying in from around the world specifically to visit his shop. The draw is simple: bring him a bottle of your favourite designer perfume, and he will recreate it for you in 15 to 20 minutes for a fraction of the original price. Visitors consistently report paying a fraction of what the original costs, with ready-made inspired fragrances starting from around AED 40 according to community reviews. This is one of the most genuinely useful Dubai money-saving tips that most residents discover years too late.
Who is Yusuf Bhai
Yusuf grew up in a fishing village in Kerala, India. He came to Dubai after working as a photographer in Qatar, initially joining his brother’s perfume business in Deira which sold branded fragrances. He soon launched his own brand and introduced what he calls a perfume bar, where customers could come in and customise scents rather than choosing from pre-made bottles.
He has been in the UAE for 26 years and calls himself a “doctor of fragrance.” His shops are lined with bottles filled with different fragrances ready to be mixed, and besides the usual citruses and sweet scents, you will also find karak chai, milk, chocolate, butter, and more unusual options. He received mainstream attention in the UAE when Gulf News profiled him, and global attention when his recreation videos spread across TikTok. He now has multiple locations in Deira and a website with international shipping.
What he actually does
The core service is fragrance recreation. You bring Yusuf Bhai a perfume you love, or simply describe one, and he recreates it using his library of fragrance oils and essences. His unique selling point is the ability to create an almost perfect replica of any fragrance within 15 to 20 minutes. He also creates entirely custom fragrances from scratch based on your preferences, which takes longer and involves a back-and-forth conversation about when you plan to wear it, your favourite scent families, and what memories or moods you want to evoke.
Beyond replicas and custom blends, the shop has a section of single-origin scents including cinnamon, ambergris, lemongrass, and unusual options. Yusuf describes this section as a perfume buffet, where you can pick your favourite individual scents. These are sold as pure oils rather than alcohol-based sprays, which suits customers who prefer oil-based fragrances for religious or personal reasons.
The shop also stocks ready-made bottled fragrances inspired by well-known designer and niche perfume houses. These are clearly presented as inspired-by rather than counterfeit, and the quality of the oil base is generally considered good by fragrance community reviews.
What it costs
Yusuf Bhai does not publish a fixed price list and prices vary by fragrance complexity, the cost of ingredients, and some negotiation. The shop offers several distinct services:
| Service | What visitors report paying |
|---|---|
| Ready-made inspired fragrance (100ml) | From around AED 40 based on community reports |
| Replica recreation of your fragrance | Varies — ask before committing |
| Custom blend created from scratch | Higher than ready-made, negotiable |
| Pure fragrance oil (single origin) | Varies significantly by ingredient |
| Refill of an existing bottle | Lower than original purchase |
No official price list exists. Always ask for the price before the recreation begins and confirm you are happy with it before work starts.
The saving versus buying the original is the entire point of visiting. A 100ml bottle of Tom Ford Oud Wood or a comparable niche fragrance retails at AED 900 or more in Dubai malls. Whatever Yusuf Bhai charges for the recreation, it will be a fraction of that. Fragrance community reviews consistently note that while the replicas are impressive, they are not identical to the original, particularly in terms of the opening notes and the longevity of the dry-down. The recreation performs best on fragrances with simpler accord structures and less well on complex or synthetic-heavy modern perfumes.
Where to find him
Yusuf Bhai has multiple stores in Deira, Old Dubai. The main location is in the Al Khor Street area near the Gold Souk, at Obaidullah Building, 86 Al Khor Street, Deira, Dubai. There is also a presence at Gold Souk 2.0. The area is walkable from Al Ras Metro Station on the Green Line, and the surrounding perfume souk has dozens of other fragrance shops making it a worthwhile afternoon trip even if you do not end up buying from Yusuf Bhai specifically.
Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, and Friday 5pm to 10pm. The shop can get busy, particularly on weekends and during tourist season from October to March. Arriving on a weekday morning gives you more time with Yusuf or his son Bilal without a queue. Contact number is +971 52 558 8702. The official website is yusufbhaifragrances.com.
How to get the most from your visit
Bring the bottle you want recreated, not just the name. Yusuf Bhai works by smell, not by brand name or ingredient list. Having the physical bottle with some fragrance remaining gives him the reference he needs to match it accurately. If the bottle is empty and you cannot describe it well, the recreation will be less precise.
Come with time. A recreation session is not a quick transaction. The process involves smelling, adjusting, smelling again, and discussing what is right and what is not quite there yet. If you want a genuinely good recreation rather than a rough approximation, budget 45 minutes to an hour and engage with the process rather than treating it as a quick errand.
Test on skin, not on paper. Fragrance behaves differently on paper and on skin because skin temperature and chemistry affect how notes develop. Before approving a recreation, apply a small amount to your wrist and wait 15 minutes to smell the dry-down rather than just the opening.
Bring cash. The store accepts card payments but cash is smoother for the transaction and may give you slightly more room for negotiation on price.
Online ordering
Yusuf Bhai now ships internationally through yusufbhaifragrances.com and has a separate Indian store at yusufbhaifragrances.in. The online store sells ready-made fragrances and inspired collections rather than the bespoke recreation service, which requires an in-person visit. For UAE residents who have already visited and want refills, the website is useful. For first-time customers the in-person experience is the point, and ordering online without having been to the store misses what makes Yusuf Bhai worth visiting in the first place.
The honest assessment
Yusuf Bhai is genuinely excellent value and the experience is unlike anything available in a mall. The replicas are not identical to the originals. Any fragrance enthusiast who expects a 1:1 copy will notice differences, particularly in projection and longevity. The opening notes are often very close. The base notes and the way the fragrance develops over hours on skin will typically diverge from the original.
For everyday wearing this does not matter much. If you love the opening of a fragrance and wear it to work or socially rather than to fragrance events where people are actively assessing your perfume, a recreation that captures 85% of the original experience at a fraction of the price is extraordinary value compared to buying the full designer bottle. For perfume collectors or enthusiasts who value the exact olfactory experience of the original, the recreation is a complement to the original purchase rather than a replacement.
The custom creation service has consistently higher satisfaction ratings in community reviews than the replica service. Creating something new, guided by Yusuf Bhai’s expertise and your own preferences, tends to produce a result that genuinely surprises people. Many visitors report that the custom blend they did not expect much from became their most-worn fragrance.
Where is Yusuf Bhai located in Dubai?
Yusuf Bhai has multiple stores in Deira, Old Dubai. The main location is at Obaidullah Building, 86 Al Khor Street, Deira, near the Gold Souk. The nearest Metro station is Al Ras on the Green Line. Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday 10am to 10pm and Friday 5pm to 10pm. Contact number is +971 52 558 8702.
How much does Yusuf Bhai charge to recreate a perfume?
Yusuf Bhai does not publish a fixed price list and prices vary by fragrance complexity and ingredients. Visitor reports suggest ready-made inspired fragrances start from around AED 40 for 100ml. Replicas and custom blends cost more depending on what is being created. Always ask for the price before work begins and confirm you are happy with it before committing. Bring cash as it gives slightly more room for negotiation than card payment.
Are Yusuf Bhai replicas as good as the original perfume?
Not identical, but often impressively close on the opening notes. The opening of most replicas is very accurate. The dry-down and base notes typically diverge from the original over time, and longevity on skin is generally shorter than the designer original. For everyday wearing where you want the scent profile at a fraction of the cost, the recreation delivers excellent value. For collectors who want the exact olfactory experience of the original, the recreation is a complement rather than a replacement.
Do I need to book an appointment at Yusuf Bhai?
No appointment is needed. The store is walk-in. Weekday mornings are quieter than weekends and tourist season from October to March is busier than summer. Arriving early on a weekday gives you the most time with Yusuf or his son Bilal. Call ahead on +971 52 558 8702 if you want to confirm availability before making the trip from far away.
The Deira area around Yusuf Bhai is also home to the Gold Souk and Spice Souk, making it one of the best value afternoons you can spend in Dubai without spending much at all. For more ways to spend less on things that genuinely improve daily life in Dubai, the practical Dubai savings guide covers where most residents consistently overspend and what to do instead.
